Ithaca, N.Y.—There are some great new items on this year's Cornell Lab of Ornithology holiday gift list. From stocking-stuffers to gifts of learning and inspiration, these items will not only please the bird watcher on your list but "give back" by helping support the Cornell Lab's mission to improve the understanding and protection of birds. To learn more about these and other "birdy" gifts visitwww.birds.cornell.edu/BirdGifts.
The Living Bird: 100 Years of Listening to Nature
This eye-popping new book celebrates the joy of birds and the Cornell Lab's centennial. It features more than 250 remarkable photos along with inspiring essays from leading authors, including Barbara Kingsolver, Jared Diamond, and Scott Weidensaul. ($29.95)
A Year With Birds 2016 Calendar
Spend a year with the birds! The new 2016 calendar features a gorgeous array of bird photos with fascinating facts about each species and some birding tips. This colorful cast of characters is yours with a gift to the Lab of $10 or more. ($10)
Project FeederWatch
Give FeederWatch as a gift, introducing friends and family to this long-running citizen-science project. By submitting bird observations to the Lab, participants help contribute to scientific understanding of feeder birds and learn more about their backyard friends along the way. ($18) In order for the kit to arrive by December 24, please order by November 30.
Waterfowl ID Foldout Guides
Boost your odds of a positive ID using this series of three new pockets guides developed by the Cornell Lab. The secret lies in the answer to a simple question: Where's the WHITE? Learn basic techniques for identifying waterfowl based on where you see patches of white and on the overall shape of the bird. Printed by Waterford Press. ($7.95 each)
Cornell Lab Membership
Benefits of membership include the award-winning Living Bird magazine and discounts on projects and courses, plus the latest birding news and discoveries in a monthly eNewsletter. It's a meaningful way to support conservation and enhance the understanding and enjoyment of birds. Supporter level memberships begin at $44 per year.
Tutorials and Webinars
The gift of knowledge is priceless. Cornell Lab tutorials and webinars will appeal to beginning and intermediate birds who want to learn about bird identification and behavior. The "Be a Better Birder" tutorials and one-hour webinars on ID for shorebirds, waterfowl, and raptors each put greater bird knowledge well within reach. ($10 to $29 each)
Master Sound Set Bundle
This combo includes the Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: Master Set for North America and a one-year subscription to the Birds of North America Online reference, the most complete source of information for the more than 700 species of birds that breed in Canada and the United States. The Master Set includes multiple examples of sounds for each of 737 bird species. ($69.99)
Essential Sound Set Bundle
This package includes a six-month subscription to Birds of North America Online and the Cornell Guide to Bird Sounds: Essential Set for North America. The Essential Set provides the most common sounds of 729 bird species found in North America. ($24.99)
The Birds of North America Online
This is the most comprehensive reference available for all of North America's 716 species of breeding birds, continually updated with the most current scientific information and brought to life with photos, sounds, and video. This is a gift of knowledge for anyone who loves to learn more about birds. A 30-day subscription is just $5; $42 for a full year.
Birds and Beans Gift Set
Get more than 24% off this special gift set. It contains a dozen 12-ounce bags of bird-friendly coffee, including Wood Thrush Breakfast Roast, American Redstart Light Roast, Scarlet Tanager French Roast, and more. Ground or whole bean available. Your purchase supports organic shade-grown coffee farms that shelter migratory birds. A portion of the proceeds also supports Cornell Lab conservation efforts. ($120, plus $9.50 shipping)
Bird Spy Bingo
This is a great stocking-stuffer from the Lab's BirdSleuth program! Kids of any age can use this dry-erase card to look for birds or other items associated with birds and nature. Spotting a group of birds, a colorful bird, a feather, a nest, or even bird droppings can help you win bingo! Play while traveling, out for a walk, or just sitting in your backyard. Cards are available in English and Spanish. ($1.50)
BirdSleuth Holiday Package
This combo includes Focus Game Cards (Eastern species), the BirdSleuth Backyard Birds poster, the Project FeederWatch Common Feeder Birds poster, and the Birdleuth Investigator student publication for 2015. The focus cards show full-color images of the 36 most common backyard birds. You also get games and a bonus online quiz. ($9.95)
For more gift ideas, visit www.birds.cornell.edu/BirdGifts
Contact: Pat Leonard, (607) 254-2137, pel27@cornell.edu
